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A Rhinoceros,

Engraved for the

British Magazine.

even to render the taste more agreeable; and thefe fmall wounds, to appearance, made no other impreffion on his tongue than the particles of falt and pepper do on ours. If they touch any flesh with their tongue, it carries all before it, leaving the bone quite bare; fo that this is a very dangerous weapon.

would be a little bloody; but that feemed befides, the elephant was forced to be strict. ly upon his guard, left the rhinoceros fhould flip his horn into his belly, and rip him up, as they often do in their fights with each other. The governor, well knowing that he could not pierce the rhìnoceros on the back, by reafon of the thicknefs of his hide in that part, or any where but on the fides near the belly, watched an opportunity when he fhould take a leap, and by that means expose the place which alone was penetrable. This the creature presently did, to avoid a ftroke aimed at him by the elephant, and the governor immediately caft a dart, which dexterously ftruck him through from fide to fide; upon which the beast fell down, amidst a loud fhout of the people, who were very numerous, and had begun to be in pain for the governor's fafety. They then laid the body upon a pile of wood, and fetting fire to it, leaped and danced about, whilft the hard skin was burning and the flesh roafting, cutting pieces as faft as it roafted, and eating them with great fatisfaction. Of the heart, liver, and brain, they made a more dainty dish, and prefented it to the governor, who was upon a rifing ground, diverting himself with their merriment. Father Borri, who was prefent at the whole fcene, obtained the hoofs by the governor's leave. In all engagements between the elephant and rhinoceros, the victory to the latter chiefly depends upon the good fortune of striking the former with his horn in the belly; for if he fails in this, or miffes his aim, the elephant is generally too hard for him, by means of his probofcis.

Though the greatest part of his body is wrapt up in armour, and those who attack him are expofed to great danger, yet the Indians hunt him as they do other animals, because his carcafe is of great ufe to them; and, however hard it may be, the Moors eat his flesh, which they account a fine repaft. The inhabitants attribute a variety of phyficial virtues to every part of this creature, from the tip of the horn to the calcined bones and hoofs, in which the Portuguese do not fall fhort of them; but there is good reason, perhaps, to doubt of many of them. That the horn fweats at the touch of poison, and is esteemed for many other qualities, feems to be univerfally allowed; and whether fome other parts may not be used with fuccefs, as a cure for particular diseases, we have no authorities to contradict; and, on the other hand, we have not fufficient to vouch for the veracity of those numerous virtues attributed to every part of the rhinoceros. At the Cape of Good-Hope the Europeans hang up the fresh blood in the guts to dry in the fun, and afterwards take it in wine, coffee, or tea, to open obftructions, and for inward fores. Their flesh is often eat among the Hottentots; and Kolben fays he himself eat fome, and found the tafte very agreeable.

Father Borri relates, that when he was at Nuocmon, in the province of Pulucambi in Cochin-china, the governor went out to hunt a rhinoceros, that was in a wood near their dwelling-place. The governor had with him above a hundred men, fome on foot, fome on horfeback, and eight or ten elephants. The beaft came out of the wood, and, feeing fo many enemies, was fo far from giving any tokens of fear, that he furiously encountered them all, who, opening and making a-lane, let the rhinoceros run through. He came to the rear, where was the governor, mounted on an elephant, waiting to attack him, The elephant endeavoured to lay hold with his trunk, but could not, by reason of the rhinoceros's fwiftnefs and leaping; and March 1761.

As the rhinoceros is but feldom feen, we may conclude either that they are as scarce as the elephants are numerous, or else, which is more probable, they chiefly harbour in deferts and unfrequented places, their common diet being thistles, docks, and other fuch like coarfe fare. Some have imagined that the rhem, fo often mentioned in Scripture, was no other than this animal; but, on a close examination, there are but little grounds for such a supposition. Others imagine, that the beast commonly called the unicorn is no other than the rhinoceros; though, if authors may be credited, there are various one-horned animals in Africa, which have an equal, and fome a far better, right to this conjecture, as coming nearer to the commonly received motion of the figure and shape of the uniR

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corn. Others, on the contrary, and particularly Dale, think that the rhinoceros is the only one-horned quadruped, and that the accounts of all the others are fictitious.

Very few of these animals have been brought to Europe. There was a female one fhewn in London in the year 1752; but this was not near full-grown, being no more than five feet and an half in ftature, and the horn was but short.

The rhinoceros is among the number of thofe animals, which if a Hottentot can have the happiness of killing, he has the dignity of an hero conferred upon him. The performance of the ceremony, and the cleanliness of it, may prove entertaining, and therefore we here fubjoin it, though not properly belonging to the natural history of this beaft.

"The rhinoceros being killed, the Hottentot runs to his village, acquaints all his neighbours of his good fortune, and then goes to his hut, and fquats down in the middle of it. Prefently comes an ancient Hottentot, deputed by the village, and compliments him in their name; at the fame time giving notice of their expecting his coming to receive the honours due to his exploit. The hero rifes upon the meffage being delivered, and attends the deputy to the middle of the village, where he Iquats down on a mat, fpread for the folemnity, in the center of the men, who all fquat round him in a circle. The deputy

then advances, pronounces certain words, and then piffes upon him from head to foot. The deputy afterwards lights a pipe of tobacco, and, having fmoked two or three whiffs, delivers it to be fmoked out in turns by the affembly, and the ashes are fcattered by the deputy on the hero, who inftantly rifes, and the whole circle with him, receives the perfonal compliments and thanks of the village for the fignal fervice and honour rendered to his country by his bravery: and thus ends the ceremony. Straightway the hero returns to his hut, where he is three days sumptuoufly entertained, at the expence of the village, with the niceft rareties, (that is, what they term nice); during which time he is called to no public action; nor is his wife admitted till the evening of the third day, when the hero receives the lady with the greatest marks of fondnefs and affection : a fat fheep is killed, and the neighbours are entertained, who congratulate the lady upon her being restored to the arms, and become a partner in her husband's glory, c."

On the whole, the rhinoceros is a very noble and famous creature; and though vaftly inferior to the elephant in ftrength, docility, and those other qualities peculiar to that famed animal, yet fuperior to it in comeliness of shape, and beauty of fkin; and both alike ferve to display the wonders of Providence in the creation.

Some REFLECTIONS on the SPIRIT of PARTY.

Medio tutiffimus ibis.

All neither wholly falfe, nor wholly true.

To the Authors of the BRITISH MAGAZINE.

[ GENTLEMEN, THE happy fpirit of unanimity, which

hath lately fubfifted amongst us, may appear to render any reflections on the fpirit of party unfeasonable; yet, as Chriftianity pronounces a bleffing on the peacemaker, it seems no unreasonable deduction, that he who honeftly endeavours to eftablish and confirm fuch principles as tend to peace, will be intitled to an adequate degree of the Divine Bleffing. Perhaps the fubject I have chofen hath been already fufficiently exhausted by authors, whom I

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have never been fo fortunate as to meet

with or perufe; and tracts have been written on it much more copious, diffusive, and full, than any I am equal to. However, I have ventured to draw up a few loofe immethodical thoughts, and addrefs them to you, flattering myself they will neither be difagreeable to you, nor incompatible with your plan. I shall say but little of the fpirit of party as it regards politics, confequently a difcuffion of the German war (which I wish happily and honourably ended) must not be expected

in this effay. Some of the fentiments in it, which I honestly esteemed originals, when I entered them in my common-place, I have lately found expreffed by men who have thought like me, long before I was capable of thinking. But to haften into the midft of things.

As the strenuous man of, party not often miffes of warm friends, the fect he efpoufes generally efpoufing him and his interests in turn with equal ardour; so, on the contrary, the moderate man, who feldom finds occafion to exhibit zeal, (as indubitable points are but rarely contested) is often looked upon as treacherous to all fides, and therefore meets with difregard from all: he incurs the charge of infipidity and loofe thinking, because he is not an enthusiast in matters which appear to him ambiguous and undetermined.

The spirit of party is an odd mixture of pride and implicitude; its primary foundation may be honesty, but pride and implicitude compose the superstructure: they feem to be contrary difpofitions, but are eafily reconciled. Thus an honest man fets out with what he believes a conviction of the truth of any fundamental prinsiple of a fect or society, either religious or political: from this conviction he efpoufes it, and, being thus fwayed, thinks himself obliged to fight for it through thick and thin; and from thenceforward never examines into the truth of the fubordinate opinions of his fraternity, or the rectitude of their practices, nor will admit into his mind any doubts about them; but bufies himself in fishing for the most feasible arguments, to plaifter over and defend them from the attacks of counter-arguments; although, for aught he knows to the contrary, fuch counter-argument may have its ground in reafon and good fense; and fo, for fear of being obliged to retract his opinion, and destroy what he hath been a long time, and at great pains, in confrufting, for fear of unfettling his mind, and incurring the imputation of fickleness, or of difobliging his adopted fect, and marring private friendships, he refolves to content himself, without further enquiry, and to defend his party with all his Arength: hence arife the numerous partysurfes, invectives, and acrimonious farcalms, concerning trifles; and the perfecutions which have been exercifed on the minds as well as bodies of mankind, coneraing opinions, whofe real value, and

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It is true, that every right pofition ought to be afferted and defended with a degree of warmth equal to its importance: to go: further, is commencing a zeal without knowledge, and runs us headlong into abfurdity. But, fay they, right is right, truth is truth, and ought to be maintained with equal earnestness and perfeverance, whether it regards the shape of a shoebuckle, or the government of the world ;-for who knows but the destruction of this feemingly minute link may undo the great chain of all things, and infringe the order of Providence? But thefe people should have a fublimer notion of the great Difpofer of all things, than to imagine him fo careless about the concatination of events, as to make the strength of it to depend on a few private opinions; or that his honour is much, if at all, concerned in the ob fervance of injunctions, which Providence, in his infinite wisdom, orders fhall be deemed indifferent by the generality of calm-thinking men.

That "the wifdom of the world is foolishness with God," I readily grant; that "Chriftianity was deemed foolishness by the wife Greeks," I as readily grant; and I am not in the least doubt but that these texts will be applied to me: yet wifdom is still wisdom, and reason is still reafon. Each party, when any thing that is undeniably good ftares it in the face, from that which is opposite, doubtingly exclaims, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? And as in religion fo in politicks, the characters of kings, and thofe of adminiftrations, are canvaffed, villified, or applauded, in this partial, difingenuous, and unequitable manner. The great argument, and one which feems to carry benevolence in it, and is therefore most cogent against free inquiry, is, that it tends to perplex and unfettle the minds of men; but the queftion remains, whether it does not unfettle them to the benefit of themfelves, as well as the public good? For (though fome difhoneft and weak minds may be distracted and unhinged, by ambitiously

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